


Charmed 210: Reflections In The Glass

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU2 [10]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 20:11:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6580564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prue and Paige spend a weekend with their other selves in Phoebe's home world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 210: Reflections In The Glass

For the first time in years, Prudence Trudeau woke up in her grandmother's house.  
It wasn't her grandmother's house, of course, not really. Any more than this was her version of San Francisco. Prue had traveled across time and space - across realities! - along with her two younger sisters, Phoebe and Paige, to visit a world that was like some bizarre, distorted mirror image of their own.  
In this world, Prue's sister Phoebe never became a demon. In this world, her first husband, Andy Trudeau, had not died. In this world, Halliwell Manor had not been destroyed in an all-out magical war.  
And in this world, Piper Halliwell was still alive.  
Prue had met this version of Piper once before - so much like her own sister, they were nearly identical. And every time Prue saw her, this woman who seemed like a perfect reincarnation of her dead sister, she felt her heart break all over again.  
They had the same laugh, the same smile. Both lapsed into a laconic drawl when they disapproved of anything. They had the same taste in purses and shoes.  
Prue had to keep reminding herself, fiercely, that this was not _her_ Piper. This was another woman, who happened to look like her sister, acted like her sister, but a woman with her own life, her own experiences, her own memories nothing like the sister she'd lost.  
_But it's Piper,_ her breaking heart cried out plaintively. _She's standing right there in front of you. It's really her. Piper's alive._  
Alive, yes. But not Piper. Not _her_ Piper.  
It seemed so strange. In this reality, Prue had met another, younger version of herself, spoken to her, hugged her. But that didn't seem anywhere near as surreal as seeing another Piper Halliwell. The simple fact of her was enough to freeze both her mind - and her heart.  
Prue shifted her weight slightly, rolling slowly onto her side. She was in the living room of Halliwell manor, sprawled across the long couch and incubated by a large, multi-colored comforter. Her two younger sisters, Phoebe and Paige, were cocooned together atop an air mattress laid out on the floor, swaddled in blankets and quilts. Their hosts had graciously offered to give up their bedrooms, but for a one-night layover, Prue and her sisters opted to "camp out" in the living room. There would be precious little time spent sleeping anyway: all the sisters retired for the evening well after midnight.  
Now, it was barely morning; diffuse light was starting to filter in from the front windows, but the living room itself was still quite dark. Prue lay where she was, listening to the sounds of the house, happy to know that at least in one reality, the Halliwell Manor still existed. And yet, in a place where every sound and smell triggered a distant but very vivid memory, she couldn't help feeling surrounded by ghosts.  
Prue felt a slight twinge in her abdomen, nothing severe, but it was followed by a wave of nausea. This too was mild, but certainly enough for her to notice. Prue was now ten weeks pregnant with her second child, and as she felt her body slowly but inexorably swelling, she realized very soon she would need a complete change of wardrobe. She decided that when she finally got up, she would put on her favorite pair of jeans. There was a good chance she might not be wearing them again for a long time.  
Prue heard Piper coming down the stairs. She didn't need to see her, to know it was her: it had been years since she'd heard those footfalls, but she knew them as intimately as the beating of her own heart. Momentarily overcome by a rush of memory, Prue closed her eyes again and let the ache of her lost sister wash over her like a wave.

Phoebe Halliwell also heard the soft footsteps coming down the stairs, and the sound slowly brought her to consciousness. Still half-asleep, she nuzzled her baby sister Paige, who was for all practical purposes dead to the world. Phoebe had just about slipped back into deep sleep when another set of steps came down the stairs, and Phoebe recognized these as belonging to her oldest sister, Prudence. Of course, Phoebe now had to take into account she had two Prues vying for the title of "oldest", but in her current state of half-consciousness, the consideration didn't enter her cobwebbed mind. She listened for a time as she heard her sisters talking in low voices in the kitchen. The soft ululations of conversation were enough to reach her ears, but not loud enough for her to make out what was being said.  
Finally, Phoebe's body and mind both reached a point of wakefulness where her systems started to reboot themselves, beginning with a long, deep intake of breath, that brought her lungs to full capacity. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open.  
Phoebe and Paige were practically nose-to-nose where they lay together on the mattress. Her sister's deep, regular breathing assured Phoebe that Paige was still deep in the dreamworld, so she pushed herself away carefully to avoid waking her. She slowly sat up and glanced over at the couch. Prue's eyes were closed, but Phoebe knew her sister was awake - just not wanting to interact with anything or anyone at present. After a few moments to allow her circulation to kick-start, Phoebe got to her feet. She left a quick kiss on Prue's forehead, then padded off to the downstairs bathroom to tend to her body's other immediate needs.  
A few minutes later, she entered the kitchen, and for a moment it seemed as if time had rolled back - Piper was making breakfast, and bleary-eyed Prue was sitting at the dinette, clinging to her oversized coffee mug for dear life while scanning the headlines of the local newspaper. The sight overwhelmed Phoebe for a moment. She was home, really home, and the rhythms of her sisters' lives had hardly changed. Not caring for what kind of disruption it made, she walked over to Piper, and pinioned her in a fierce bear hug. Piper was startled, but didn't seem to mind; she simply waited until Phoebe had finished with her cobra squeeze, and then resumed her breakfast preparations without any reply other than a tolerant smile.  
Phoebe next draped herself over Prue's shoulders and hugged her tightly.  
"Are you just going to stand there all morning, hanging on me like an old overcoat?" Prue asked mildly, not shifting her gaze from the newspaper she could barely read anyway.  
"Yes," Phoebe decided, and Prue simply chuckled at the reply. She set her coffee mug down, and as best she could in her helpless position, returned the hug with her free arm.  
"Did you sleep all right?"  
"Like a rock. I could have slept a lot longer," Phoebe admitted.  
"You could still grab a few more winks. It's early yet."  
"I don't want to sleep," Phoebe murmured, still hugging her sister. "I have to go home tonight. I'll sleep then. Today is my day to be with you."  
She became aware that she was feeling slightly cold, as she was wearing only a t-shirt, a pair of pajama bottoms and crew socks. Suddenly, Piper was standing beside her, offering her a bathrobe. Phoebe realized that Piper must have frozen time just long enough to run upstairs to retrieve the bathrobe for her sister, and she took it gratefully.  
"Thanks." She shrugged herself into the heavy terrycloth robe, and settled at the table across from her sister. Piper somehow managed to already have a mug of coffee waiting for her. Phoebe frowned in puzzlement.  
"Wait - I thought you said you gave up your powers," she said.  
Piper returned the puzzled frown. "We did."  
"You didn't freeze time just now?"  
"No, Phoebe, that would be your brain still being half asleep."  
"I guess so," Phoebe said ruefully, and closed her eyes, taking a sip of coffee. "This is great. Thanks, Piper."  
"So, what do you want to do today?" Prue asked Phoebe, giving up on the pretense of reading the newspaper without her glasses.  
Phoebe shook her head. "I have no plans at all. Just want to hang out with you guys. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."  
"Well ... apart from going to church this morning, we hadn't made plans, either. I think the Paiges have volunteered to box up some of your clothes for you," Prue offered. "So you can take them back with you. I guessing your own wardrobe is a little sparse, since you left last time with only a hoodie and a pair of jeans."  
"That's sweet of them."  
"Not really. Paige would like to have closet space of her own."  
Phoebe laughed. "Yeah. I suppose that's true," she admitted.  
At that moment, red-haired Paige stumbled into the kitchen, still in her nightdress and her eyes still swollen with sleep.  
"Speak of the devil," Piper drawled, and Paige merely snorted in reply, putting her teacup into the microwave with some fresh water.  
"Hey, you guys," she greeted them with an expansive yawn, and to Phoebe she added, "Morning, Pheeble."  
Phoebe looked up in dismay. "Oh, no, not you too," she groaned.  
"Paige said it's a Matthews rule, we have to call you 'Pheeble'."  
"She's always making up rules," Phoebe protested. "It doesn't mean you have to follow them."  
Paige shrugged. "She's me. What I am supposed to do?"  
"You could just call me Phoebe."  
"Nahh. I like 'Pheeble' better. It suits you."  
Both Piper and Prue found themselves suppressing fits of giggles. Phoebe looked at each of them in turn, and realizing she wasn't going to find a sympathetic ear anywhere, gave up.  
"Fine. Whatever. I'll find some cruel, superficially apt nickname for you then," she retorted.  
"You do that." Paige took her teacup out of the microwave, and set in a green tea bag to steep, then settled herself on one of the barstools next to the kitchen island where Piper was working.  
"Is Leo here this morning?" she asked.  
"He got in pretty late last night. He'll be down in a few minutes, probably."  
"Leo's here?" Phoebe asked.  
"Yeah."  
"And - he's - I mean - you guys are -"  
"Well, _duh,_ Phoebe. Of course."  
"I'm glad to hear that, Piper. Really."  
Piper's eyes narrowed. "I could still almost smack you, for not telling me the truth about him."  
"I _did_ tell you, Piper, you just didn't listen."  
Piper absorbed that for a moment, and then conceded the point. "Fine. You're right. I'm still annoyed."  
"What did he think about you giving up your powers?" Phoebe asked, genuinely curious.  
Piper made a face, and Prue sighed.  
"Phoebe, please tell us you're not going to be harping on this all day," she pleaded.  
"I won't. But I really want to know what he thought."  
"Well, you can ask him yourself, when he comes down," Piper demurred, intentionally backing away from the conversation.  
Phoebe set her coffee mug down.  
"Listen, you guys," she said quietly. "I said I won't make a big deal out of this, and I promise I won't. But there are a couple of things I'd like to say - and I pinkie swear, I'll let it drop after that."  
Piper sighed in exasperation, but Prue gave her a reproving glance. "Let her get it out her system," she suggested. "Otherwise, we'll be hearing about it all day."  
"It's just - I worry about you guys," Phoebe confessed. "I worry you won't be safe or happy, without your powers."  
"We weren't safe or happy with them, Phoebe," Piper objected.  
"Piper, just - hear me out, okay?"  
Piper pursed her lips in a moue of irritation, but ceded the floor to her sister.  
"Look. I know the whole demon thing can be pretty awful, but consider this. You guys were born witches. It's part of who we all are," Phoebe pleaded. "And I just can't imagine any of you being truly happy, if you're denying such a huge part of yourselves. And I honestly don't see the logic in giving up your powers to make yourselves less of a target. You're still witches, even if you're choosing to not practice the craft. It just makes it easier for a demon to do whatever he wants."  
"If we don't have any powers to steal, demons will have no reason to come after us," Piper said.  
"I don't believe that, Piper, and honestly, I don't think you do either. But _you_ I understand least of all," Phoebe addressed this remark to Prue. "You're the smart one in the family. And willfully making yourself powerless is not the smart play, Prue."  
Phoebe was trying desperately not to make the remark seem like a personal attack, and, to her credit, Prue merely shrugged it off.  
"It's like I said, Phoebe, this was not a decision we made lightly," she said quietly. "It was a hard choice, and we had a lot of conversations that upset all of us. But one thing we all agreed on, we would be either all in, or all out. It wasn't an easy choice to make, and I promise, we discussed all the pros and cons at great length."  
"What could you possibly have against it?"  
Prue sighed. There was no avoiding this conversation, apparently. "What I had against it, is that it was making my family miserable. Piper and Paige felt they weren't being given a choice whether or not to accept it. For myself, I didn't really like being a witch," Prue admitted. "But it wasn't all bad, and I was be willing to go along, if everyone else was. As it turned out, Piper and Paige hated the idea of being witches even more than me."  
"But it's part of your heritage," Phoebe protested. "You might as well be saying, I don't want a high IQ because my parents had that too. You're a witch. All of you. Witches. Saying you're not doesn't change that."  
"No, but we wanted to have the choice whether or not to embrace that part of our heritage."  
"As long as you see magic as some sort of burden, or a punishment, you'll never be able to see it as the gift it really is."  
"What's good about it?" Paige asked.  
"What?" Phoebe looked at her blankly.  
"Seriously. What's good about being a witch. Name one thing. Just one. Because, honestly? I can't think of a single thing. I can give you a long list of things I _don't_ like about it, starting with, almost getting killed."  
Phoebe mulled that over. "Okay. One thing."  
"Right."  
"Magic allowed your family to find you."  
Paige blinked furiously, trying to process Phoebe's statement.  
"Without magic, you'd still be alone," Phoebe said. "Your sisters wouldn't know who you are. They would never have come looking for you. They might never have even found out you existed. You found your family, Paige, because of magic. And I'm willing to bet, when your life was being threatened by a demon, it was either Prue or Piper who used magic to save you."  
"We cast the spell to call a lost witch," Prue admitted, her voice barely audible.  
"Guys, I'm not saying everything about being a witch is great, because it's not," Phoebe allowed. "And being a witch does place responsibilities on each of us, that we wouldn't otherwise have. But what it gives back to you is so much more. It defines your place in the world. It allows you to consider that there are other things greater than yourself. It gives you the chance to make real changes in people's lives. It's a gift."  
Prue almost crumpled at the table. Phoebe looked over at her, concerned. "Prue?"  
Prue smiled sadly. "I was just thinking, I said something almost exactly like that to Andy the day we rescued Paige," she admitted.  
"And what did he say?"  
"It kind of creeped him out a little bit. I really didn't get a chance to prepare him for the weirdness he was going to see."  
"So, you gave up magic because of Andy?"  
Prue shook her head. "His opinion did factor into my decision," she allowed, "But my family was the biggest factor of all. After we brought Paige home, a demon broke in, trying to kill all of us. Once the mess was cleared away, we all looked at each other and said, we don't want to go through that again."  
"And what happens the next time a demon comes around? Because one will. Sooner or later. What are you going to do then?"

In the living room, dark-haired Paige stirred and sat up, listening intently to the conversation taking place in the kitchen. She glanced over at Prue.  
"Should we go break it up?" she asked anxiously.  
Prue shook her head. "No. They're not fighting. Not yet, anyway. As long as they're being civil, let them hash it out between themselves. Besides, we wouldn't exactly be considered unbiased referees."  
Paige thought that over for a minute.  
"I'm not a referee," she decided. "I'm a combatant."  
Throwing aside the blankets, she got to her feet and strode purposefully into the kitchen, strategically tugging at her nightshirt as she went, to make herself decent.  
"Hey, guys," she greeted them all. "I know this is private fight, but I have an elbow I want to throw, anyway."  
"It's all right, Paige," younger Prue said with equanimity. "This isn't a closed discussion. Speak your piece."  
"The reason you want to keep your powers is so you can see Phoebe again."  
Piper looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean, we opened the portal to get here by magic. There isn't any other way to do it." Paige sighed. "Look. I know Pheeble asked you guys about coming to live in our world. It was right of her to ask you. But the truth is, the whole family isn't going to transplant itself in another reality or the other, and we all know that. You guys still want to be able to see her. Fine. But if you don't have your powers - how will you be able to open a portal when you want to visit? Or how will you reach us, if the Sister Phone breaks down for some reason? There's no non-magical way to do it. Phoebe didn't ask to get stuck between two worlds. She's trying to make the best of a really horrible situation. And the only solution any of us has is to use our magic to help each other. We need you, guys. Phoebe needs you. And we need you with your powers intact, otherwise, this may be the last time this family ever gets together again. And I do consider all of you my family, and I do want to see all of you again. So, please. Take a break from magic, if you need a timeout from all the rampaging weirdness. I won't hold that against you. But don't turn your backs on magic for good. We all have too much to lose otherwise."  
Every one of the sisters stared at Paige open-mouthed, and she smiled in satisfaction.  
"Okay. Now that we've got that out of the way, you guys can continue with your beached fish face contest, and I'm going to go grab a shower," she announced. "There are six Halliwells in this house today, and a hot water heater that's good for one and a half showers, and I can do math. See ya, sisters."  
With a self-satisfied smirk, Paige turned abruptly and left the kitchen, leaving her other sisters staring after her, dumbfounded.  
Prue's expression slowly turned into a begrudging grin. "That was probably the last, best word on the discussion," she decided aloud.  
Red-headed Paige nodded in solemn agreement. "That was pretty much brilliant," she said.  
Piper made a face. "You're just saying that because she's you."  
"I wouldn't have thought of that," Paige protested. "And it was still brilliant. Even if it was other me who said it."  
"Yeah, and where is the other you?" Piper asked Prue. "Why isn't she weighing in on this?"  
"She's probably having a rough start to her morning," Phoebe suggested.  
"Being back in the manor is flooding her with memories?" Prue guessed.  
"Probably," Phoebe nodded. "But she's been having a harder time in the mornings anyway. She's expecting."  
"Again?" Prue's eyes widened in delighted surprise.  
"It happens, Prue." Phoebe grinned.  
"How far along is she?" Piper asked.  
"Just over two months."  
Piper quickly set aside the breakfast she was working on, to concentrate on a nausea remedy for her sister's other self.  
"What's that you're making?" Paige asked, curious.  
"Sweet ginger tea," Piper explained, as she grated some ginger root into a saucepan, adding some brown sugar, honey, lemon rind and a handful of chamomile tea leaves.  
Phoebe settled in at the other bar stool next to Paige, and both of them watched as Piper made her preparations. Realizing her every move was being scrutinized, she looked up and glared at them both.  
"Don't either of you have someplace better to be?" she asked.  
"NO," Phoebe and Paige answered in unison, then each burst into a fit of giggles.  
"I'll put you to work," she threatened.  
"We're ready," Paige declared.  
"Tell us what to do," Phoebe seconded.  
Piper sighed with exasperation. "Fine," she said. "Pheebs, you can set the table - put out settings for seven of us. Paige, you can roll croissants."  
Once her sisters were set up with their tasks, and the ginger tea had suitably steeped, Piper put a cupful on a tray and took it into the living room. The early morning sun was now pouring in through the windows, and elder Prue was struggling to sit up.  
Piper settled in on the couch beside her.  
"Hey," she greeted her. "Good morning."  
"Good morning," Prue grunted, finally righting herself into a sitting position. Her eyes were still puffy from sleep and her long dark hair was sticking up all over.  
"Phoebe says you're having morning sickness."  
"Yeah. A little."  
"I brought you something." Piper held out the tray.  
Prue took the cup and brought it to her lips.  
"Ginger tea?" she guessed.  
"I thought it might help settle your stomach."  
"My Piper used to make this for me," Prue smiled sadly. "I always did have a terrible stomach. Thank you."  
She took a long sip and looked up in pleased surprise. "This is really good."  
Prue could hardly look at Piper without tearing up. The younger woman seemed to understand Prue's discomfiture, and reached over and gently squeezed her free hand.  
"Look. I know I'm not your Piper, and I could never replace her, but -" she hesitated for a moment, feeling utterly awkward. "I think there's a chance we'll be seeing each other a lot more in the future. And I just wanted you to know - well - you're welcome here."  
"Thank you." Prue's breaking voice was barely audible. She took another long sip of the tea. "You are so much like her," Prue said, letting out a ragged sigh.  
"I can't even imagine how terrible it must have been for you. To lose your whole family. I can't even think about it. I just freeze up inside."  
"It was -" The horror of the memory strangled the words in Prue's throat. Piper regarded her sympathetically.  
"Look. Maybe one day, you might want your kids to see this place," she suggested. "You know. To let them know what it was like. To see where their grandmother and great-grandmother lived."  
"That would be nice."  
"Well, when that day comes, bundle 'em up and tell them they get to visit Auntie Piper and Uncle Leo."  
Prue set her teacup down on the low table; her tears were now spilling down her cheeks, and she was afraid of spilling the tea as well. Piper pulled her close and hugged her. Prue felt her heart breaking again, and she rested her head against Piper's shoulder, letting all her old grief slip away.  
Leo Wyatt came down the stairs, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. He saw the sisters huddled together, and wandered over, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
"Everything okay?" he asked.  
Prue looked up, only to see another face of someone she'd lost. Leo looked at her in surprise.  
"You're - you're not -" he floundered for a moment. "You're the other Prue. From Phoebe's other world."  
"Other Prue, that's me," Prue grinned tearfully. "It's good to see you, Leo. Really, really good to see you."  
"Yeah. Nice to meet you, too."  
"Leo, I'm gonna be a couple of minutes," Piper said. "Can you please check on Paige in the kitchen?"  
"Sure. Are we going to church this morning?"  
"I honestly don't know. With six of us running around, we'll be lucky if we can find the front door before noon."  
Leo chuckled. "I guess we can skip a week, if we have to. It is kind of a special occasion."  
He ambled towards the kitchen. Piper began smoothing out the rebellious cow licks in Prue's hair. Prue closed her eyes, still leaking tears, overwhelmed by the gentle touch from the hand of a sister she thought forever lost.  
"You and Leo?" she managed to ask.  
"Yup," Piper nodded, running her fingers through the worst of the stuck-up wads of hair, gently tugging them back down.  
"How long?"  
"He just came back a couple of weeks ago. When we met Paige, in fact."  
"But he's not your - your guardian?"  
"We're not witches, Prue. It's not his job to protect us any more."  
Prue sat up, so she and Piper could talk face to face. "And how do the Elders feel about that?"  
"I don't know," Piper admitted. "I do know that they have no objection to me and Leo being together - now that there's no conflict of interest."  
"But isn't there?"  
"How do you mean?"  
"Sooner or later, one of Leo's charges is going to demand all his time. You won't be able to see him as often as you'd like."  
"And, what, if I were a witch, things would be different?"  
"I don't know," Prue sighed. "I really don't, Piper. I guess I agree with Phoebe, I wish you had kept your powers. But it's not my place to tell you what to do."  
"You said yesterday, you gave up magic."  
"I did."  
"But you obviously changed your mind."  
"I didn't think it would even work," Prue admitted. "Trying to get our powers back, I mean. But then, the miracle happened."  
"Miracle?"  
"We received our powers. Phoebe, Paige and me. I almost didn't believe it."  
Piper mulled that over. "But even after you vanquished the demon who threatened you, you obviously decided to keep going."  
"I'm sorry, Piper. I can't tell you that part of the story, without telling you what happened to the other you. I'm not ready for that yet."  
"Yeah, well, since it has something to do with me dying, I think I can wait."  
Prue smiled sadly. "You really are just like her. You talk the same, you react the same."  
"Kinda weird, huh?"  
"No," Prue said emphatically. "Not weird. Wonderful. Very, very wonderful."

* * *

The lack of frozen time notwithstanding, the breakfast Piper made was one of her very best: Eggs Benedict, with a Hollandaise sauce done to perfection; sweet glazed croissants; potatoes grilled with vidalia onion, orange and red bell peppers, and a hint of garlic; fresh fruit salad with pineapple, cantaloupe, apple and dark seedless grapes; even homemade lattes, liberally garnished with cream and cinnamon.  
In spite of the sisters having two sets of "twins" at the table, the conversation was light hearted, even playful, punctuated often with peals of laughter. As the meal was drawing to its close, Phoebe insisted on gathering everyone together in the living room for an impromptu photograph.  
"I know, I know, you don't have your makeup, or your best outfit, or whatever excuse you want to make," she admonished them collectively. "I don't care. This is a special day, and I love all of you just as you are. Even when none of us had time to do our hair. So get your butts into the living room, and let's get a picture of our extended family."  
Each of the sisters fussed and fidgeted, declaring that they weren't prepared for a photo shoot, but Phoebe remained absolutely adamant; and so, grudgingly, they all filed into the living room and arranged themselves as best they could around and on the couch. Younger Prue handed her camera to Leo.  
"Normally I use this at the office for art documentation," she explained. "But today, we can use it to take a family photo."  
"This isn't a point and shoot camera, Prue," Leo objected. "This is - well, it's a _real_ camera."  
Prue grinned. "Allow me."  
In the space of a few moments, she had the filters and lens properly set, and handed the camera back to Leo. "Now, you can point and shoot."  
"And take lots," Phoebe declared. "Then if someone has their eyes closed, or sneezes, or something, we have alternates to choose from."  
"Can you set a timer on that thing, Prue? So Leo can join us?" Piper pleaded.  
"Let's take one set with just you ladies first," Leo suggested.  
Leo quickly rolled off a series of shots, and then Prue grabbed her tripod, mounted the camera and set the timer for another photo series with Piper happily snuggled in Leo's arms.  
"Any chance we can have prints of those today?" Phoebe asked hopefully.  
"Well, if we go to Buckland's, we can," younger Prue answered. "Most of my developing equipment is there."  
"Would you mind?" Phoebe asked plaintively.  
Younger Prue burst into a wide grin. "For my baby sister? Sure," she said, her voice growing dusky; and Phoebe hugged her enthusiastically.  
"I love you," she declared.  
Dark-haired Paige nudged elder Prue. "If we're going to split up for a little while - I'll work on mine, you work on yours?" she suggested, whispering in her sister's ear. "Phoebe's our best shot of getting through to Piper."  
Prue grinned broadly at her baby sister. "You read my mind," she admitted.  
"Hey, hey, what secrets are you two hoarding?" Piper demanded. "No secrets today!"  
"No secrets," Prue agreed. "The Paiges are going to go upstairs to pack up Phoebe's stuff, while Prue and I go to Buckland's - if you don't mind, Prue," she added quickly.  
"Not at all," Prue answered.  
"And Phoebe, Piper and Leo can get the kitchen and dining room cleaned up. And since it looks like we're not going to church today, you guys can be our event planners and decide what we're doing with our afternoon."  
After a moment's consideration, there was mutual consent among the sisters; before they separated, dark-haired Paige took Phoebe aside.  
"Why don't you just tell 'em you had a premonition that a big, bad monster is gonna eat them all up, unless they come to their senses and get their powers back?"  
Phoebe grinned ruefully. "Come on, Paige. My sisters aren't morons."  
"Sure they are. They gave up their powers."  
"They'd know instantly I was lying. I have a lifetime of baggage with those two."  
"I wish we had that," Paige sighed enviously.  
"Be careful what you wish for," Phoebe cautioned. "You and I are already filling a big bag of our own."  
"Yeah," Paige gloated. "And I want it absolutely huge, and overflowing with drama."  
Phoebe gave her sister a playful nudge. "Go pack my stuff. Before I start calling you Shorty again."

* * *

A short time later, the Prues were headed to the auction house, in younger Prue's black BMW. She glanced over at her older self.  
"So, what do you think of Phoebe's plan?" she asked.  
"Which one?"  
"Where all the sisters move to one reality."  
Elder Prue smiled. "I told Phoebe it would be asking a lot of you."  
"Yeah, but how do _you_ feel about it? Would it -" Prue hesitated for a moment. "Would it be weird for you, if I lived there too?"  
"We're witches, Prue. Multiple versions of myself barely moves the needle on the weirdness gauge any more."  
"Paige - your Paige - implied the logistics alone would be too much."  
"Well, there's something else to consider. Opening gateways between realities is not in the natural order of things," elder Prue said solemnly. "It's not Wiccan. Phoebe tempered her spell to cause less damage, but it's still basically the equivalent of ripping fabric. It's not a good idea to do it for very long, or very often. And I think we could get hit with the karma of personal gain, too. We're not opening the portal for any other reason than to please ourselves."  
"Even visiting family isn't exempted from the rule?" younger Prue frowned.  
"There's nothing selfless about what we're doing now."  
Younger Prue mulled that over for a minute. "Do you think there are lots of us out there?" she asked.  
"How do you mean?"  
"Well, if these are just two realities, isn't it possible that there are dozens of others? Maybe even hundreds, or thousands?"  
Elder Prue shrugged. "There could be an infinite number of alternate universes out there, for all we know."  
Younger Prue smiled. "And Phoebe would unconditionally love each and every one of us."  
"That's her special nature. She has a compassionate heart."  
"But your Phoebe wasn't like that."  
"My Phoebe married a demon named Cole Turner. When they married, Cole basically gave up his demon heritage - going straight, as it were. But the more Phoebe rubbed shoulders with other demons, she embraced her darker side. I don't think any one of us is particularly immune to that sort of influence. Sometimes a person willfully chooses it, as Phoebe did. Sometimes, it can be nothing other than blind circumstance."  
"So, we're all evil?"  
"It's yin, yang. The light must have its shadow. Otherwise, we have no knowledge of light or dark."  
Younger Prue pulled the car into an open space in the parking garage.  
"So, you vanquished your Rex Buckland?" Elder Prue asked.  
"Yeah, of course. Didn't you?"  
"I didn't have to. Rex lost all his powers. He became a mortal man. And when that happened, he signed the business over to me."  
Younger Prue stared at her other self. "Seriously."  
"Yup."  
"You _own_ Buckland's. I mean, your Buckland's."  
"Well, joint ownership with Rex. And I'm the executive for the San Francisco office. Rex is in London, getting ready to open another office there."  
Younger Prue shook her head dumbfoundedly. "Damn," she swore softly. "Your world is starting to sound better all the time."  
"Don't be too sure," elder Prue laughed. "Rex is a demon again. And if yours is anything like mine, he's absolutely incorrigible."

* * *

In the kitchen of Halliwell manor, Phoebe, Piper and Leo were busy cleaning up from the morning's breakfast. When Piper stepped away to return the placemats to the linen closet, Phoebe took advantage of her sister's momentary absence to sidle up to Leo.  
"Hey, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, Phoebe."  
"What do you think about my sisters giving up their powers?"  
A dark cloud crossed Leo's face, and he sighed heavily. "I think they made a terrible mistake," he confided.  
"Can't you do something?" Phoebe pleaded.  
"I can't compel them, Phoebe. They're not puppets. They have free will to make their own choices."  
"Even if that choice is totally wrong?"  
Leo smiled grimly. "That's the catch for having free will. Total responsibility for your actions."  
"So, if you're not my sisters' guardian any more, why are you still hanging around?"  
"I happen to be in love with your sister," Leo pointed out.  
"You have good taste," Phoebe declared solemnly.  
"Thanks." Leo grinned. "Don't despair, Phoebe. I think your being here has helped plant a little seed of doubt in their hearts. Give it time, it might grow into something that makes them more accepting of the idea of magic in their lives."  
"Do you think the spell can be undone? Could they get their powers back, if they wanted?"  
"I honestly have no idea, Phoebe. This is kind of unchartered waters for me, too."  
Piper returned to the kitchen. "Are you trying to steal my boyfriend again?" she asked Phoebe, only half-jokingly.  
"I have a boyfriend of my own now," Phoebe assured her. "And I can't wait for you to meet him."  
"Right. The hunky Chinese fireman."  
Phoebe decided to go for brutal honesty. "I was asking Leo, what could I do, to make you want to get your powers back."  
Piper groaned in dismay. "Oh, God, Phoebe, do _not_ start with that again."  
"I won't. I promise I won't." She hugged her sister tightly. "I only came here this weekend to do one thing. That's to tell you I love you. And I _do_ love you, Piper."  
Piper felt slightly mollified by Phoebe's earnestness.  
"I've really missed you," she said, her voice whisper soft.  
"You don't ever need to miss me again. I know the way home now. And I want you to come visit me. Lots."  
"Are you really going to go back to that other San Francisco?"  
"Come with me," Phoebe pleaded. "Come see for yourself. You really had no chance to see it before."  
Piper seemed to be entertaining the thought seriously, so Phoebe added, "At least, come for a visit. And I can visit you any time you want. I moved out of Gram's house, Piper. It doesn't mean I've left the family. You're still my sister, and I still need you."  
She hugged her sister even more tightly than before. "I'm only a phone call away. And if you ever need anything, I will come running. I promise."  
Piper closed her eyes for a moment, and a fat tear spilled down one cheek. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.  
"Never," Phoebe murmured softly. "You'll never lose me again."

* * *

In the upstairs bedroom that had once belonged to Phoebe, the Paiges were methodically emptying the closet of their sister's belongings and carefully sorting them into medium sized cardboard boxes. Dark-haired Paige surveyed the room carefully.  
"So, this is where Pheeble lived," she commented, hoping the remark would be neutral enough to open the door to a serious conversation.  
Red-haired Paige grinned. "Where the magic happens."  
"But not any more."  
"No. Not any more."  
"And that really doesn't bother you."  
"Not in the slightest."  
"What power did you have? If you don't mind my asking. You did have one, right?"  
"I - heard voices," red-haired Paige shuddered.  
"Voices? You mean, you could hear people's thoughts?"  
"Well, not thoughts exactly. At least, I don't think so. I just sorta started knowing what people were going to do, before they did it."  
"But that's Pheeble's power. It's a really _cool_ power," dark-haired Paige protested. "Why would you want to give that up?"  
"Because it scared the hell out of me."  
The taller sister sat on the bed, holding one of Phoebe's sweaters in her hands, but her vacant gaze suggested her mind was elsewhere. She seemed reluctant to say anything more, so dark-haired Paige gently prompted, "What was so scary about it?"  
"I have enough ugly, dark things going on inside my own head. Hard enough for me to keep a lid on those. To hear those same kind of things coming from other people, or from things that aren't even people ... ugh." She winced with revulsion. "And I couldn't ignore it, or switch it off. Stuff just kept popping into my head, and what I was seeing - it was ... not nice. If it kept up, I think I would have slit my wrists. I've been in that bad place before. I never want to be there again."  
"So you didn't have your powers earlier. I mean, not like when you were younger."  
Red-haired Paige shook her head. "Not until a few weeks ago. It came out of nowhere. I really thought I was hallucinating. I haven't been that scared since, like, ever."  
Paige sat beside her sister on the bed. "Have - have you ever tried to kill yourself?" she asked trepidatiously. The question seemed tactless, but her sister's allusion to suicide didn't seem flippant - or even casual.  
Red-haired Paige regarded her sister coldly, but then her expression softened. She was talking to herself, really. What was the point of hiding?  
After a moment's hesitation, she rolled up one sleeve, baring her wrist; and turned the palm of her hand upward. An ugly and very visible pale scar snaked up the lower arm, starting at the heel of the hand and terminating halfway up the forearm. Dark-haired Paige almost swooned when she saw it.  
"You... weren't kidding around," she said, when she could finally find her voice again.  
"No, I wasn't," red-headed Paige admitted. She rolled the sleeve back down.  
"You should have bled out in a couple of minutes."  
"I nearly did."  
"Can I ask what happened?"  
Paige narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "The same thing happened to you?"  
Her sister shook her head. "Well - if you count the number of times I sent myself to the hospital, sick from booze or drugs, I suppose I _was_ trying to kill myself. Almost managed it, a couple of times. I was never brave enough to go for a knife."  
"Be smart. Don't." She caught a glimpse of one of her sister's tattoos under the hem of her sleeve. "You got yourself inked."  
"Yeah," Paige admitted shyly. "Lots of places, actually."  
"Can I see?"  
Dark-haired Paige hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Sure." She stood up and began to unbutton her blouse.  
"I never had the courage to get any tats or piercings. Even my earlobes don't have holes in 'em."  
"But you were willing to go after yourself like a weed whacker."  
"That's because I was fucked up and stupid." Paige sighed. "I like to think I'm a little smarter now."  
Dark-haired Paige laid her blouse on the bed. "I don't have any ink in private places," she allowed. "What you see is pretty much all of it."  
"Those are really cool," red-haired Paige said with genuine admiration, as her sister slowly turned so each of the designs was visible. "I always wanted to get one. Could never quite work up the courage to have it done."  
"Thanks. I think now, I kind of overdid it," dark-haired Paige admitted. "But - it's part of me now. Part of my history."  
She picked up her blouse and shrugged it back over her shoulders, then started to redo the buttons.  
"Can I ask you something kinda personal?"  
"What, asking me if I tried to off myself wasn't personal enough?"  
"You know what I mean."  
"Fine. Shoot."  
"Have you ever met your dad?"  
"You mean, like, my birth father?"  
"Yeah."  
"Nope."  
"Never met him? Never found out anything about him?"  
"Don't know, don't care."  
"Really?" Paige seemed genuinely surprised. "You're not even curious?"  
"Should I be?"  
"You - you were adopted, right? Like I was."  
"I was adopted. I have no idea if my foster family was anything like yours."  
"Prue said your foster family is -" Paige hesitated, not wanting to hurt her other self.  
"They're gone. Car crash. My fault."  
"Oh, God, Paige."  
"Can we talk about something else, please?"  
"I just want to say one more thing. Then I'll drop it, I promise." Dark-haired Paige sat beside her sister on the bed again. "My foster parents are named Ben and Eudora Matthews."  
Red-haired Paige's eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing. Dark-haired Paige didn't need Phoebe's powers of premonition to know she shared the same foster family with her lookalike sister.  
"In my world, Ben and Eudora are still alive," she said slowly, letting the words sink in. "And maybe, if you decide to visit us one day, I can introduce you to them."  
"They would just be strangers," red-haired Paige objected. "They're not my family."  
"But they could be. If you wanted that."  
"Please, just stop. My parents are gone. No carbon copy in an alternate universe is going to change that."  
Dark-haired Paige reluctantly dropped the topic. Her alternate self was still in too much pain to deal with the suggestion of an alternate family just yet. She decided to try another tactic.  
"What do you think of Prue and Piper?"  
"They're amazing," red-haired Paige said without hesitation. "They're the best thing that's ever happened to me."  
"I feel the same way about Phoebe and my Prue. They really helped me, especially when I was first trying to figure out how to use my powers."  
"Do you have the same power as me?" Red-haired Paige asked, curious.  
Her sister shook her head. "No. I can't read minds or see the future. Instead, I can do - this." She pointed at a bundle of ankle socks on the dresser, and with a gesture, sent them floating serenely into one of the cardboard boxes. Her sister gaped in amazement.  
"Wow," she exclaimed. "Now _that's_ a cool power. Why can't I have a power like that?"  
"I think when Phoebe left, you kind of inherited her power."  
_"Seriously?"_  
"Paige - I don't know. I'm just guessing."  
"Please tell me you're not going to try to talk me into taking those powers back."  
Dark-haired Paige shook her head sadly. "Not if it means you're going to try to kill yourself, I'm not."  
"Good."  
"I guess I would just ask, don't close your heart to the idea of magic. Leave those options open, even if you think you never want anything to do with magic ever again. You might find something you weren't expecting - something really wonderful." Paige looked at her other self pleadingly. "Just - never say never, okay?"  
Red-haired Paige nodded thoughtfully; she could commit to that much. "Yeah. Okay," she assented.  
Her sister smiled in relief. "Good. Let's hurry and get the rest of this stuff packed, so we can do something fun with our sisters this afternoon."

* * *

By the time the Prues returned from the auction house, it was mid-afternoon. The sisters elected to take advantage of the unseasonably warm spring day to have an impromptu picnic at Golden Gate Park. With Leo still in tow, they spread out a wide blanket on a grassy knoll and brought a large hamper filled with sandwich fixings and fruit juices. No longer self-conscious of their other selves, the sisters ate, chatted, basked in the sun, and generally enjoyed an almost perfect day. By the time they finally returned to the manor, it was nearly dusk; and time for farewells. Phoebe hugged each of her sisters tightly, including red-haired Paige.  
"I'm serious about having you guys come visit," she declared.  
"Actually, I think we would like that," Piper said, and Prue and Paige both nodded in assent.  
Elder Prue smiled. "Why don't you come out for the wedding," she suggested. "Spend a week with us. Get to see a little of our world."  
"Babysit your niece," Phoebe added.  
"And your fireman?" Piper grinned.  
"Him too," Phoebe laughed.  
"Thanks." Younger Prue smiled. "I think we would like that."  
Phoebe gave younger Prue one last bear hug. "I love you, Prue. So much."  
"Don't stay gone so long next time, okay?"  
"Never. I promise."  
"Good. I love you, Phoebe Halliwell." Younger Prue smiled tearfully. "My bright, beautiful, magical baby sister."  
Phoebe's jaw dropped open in amazement. "That's what you - I mean, other you - that's what she always says to me."  
"Well, she's right," Prue grinned at her other self, and elder Prue smiled back.  
Finally, Phoebe hugged Leo. "Keep an eye on my sisters," she ordered.  
"Always," Leo grinned. "Godspeed, Phoebe."  
Finally, with great reluctance, Phoebe stepped away, and picked up one of the cardboard boxes that had been packed up for her. Prue and Paige were also carrying a box each.  
"See you guys soon," Phoebe said tearfully.  
The sisters formed a rough semi-circle and began to chant softly. _"The wind is the way, our heart is the door,"_ they intoned. _"Sweep us away to the farther shore. Earth below and skies above, we seek protection for the ones we love. Across the seas and skies and stars we roam. Bring us safely now to our other home."_  
The portal re-opened, and a moment later, the sisters found themselves back in Phoebe and Paige's Chinatown apartment. The portal shrank down and then collapsed in on itself, popping noiselessly as a soap bubble.  
Prue smiled wearily at Paige. "Paige, could I impose on you to drop me off home?" she pleaded.  
"Not a problem."  
"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to leave now. Hug my kid and my husband, and crawl into bed."  
"Sounds like a plan," Phoebe agreed solemnly.  
"It really was a great weekend," Prue assured them both. "Just - exhausting."  
Phoebe hugged her sister. "Thanks for doing this for me."  
"I would do anything for you," Prue declared solemnly. "I love you, Phoebe."  
"Love you too, Prue."  
"All right, big sister, your chariot awaits," Paige declared with a giggle.  
"Terrific. Let's go home."

Paige returned to the apartment about a half-hour later, to find Phoebe sprawled across the couch and already half-asleep. Paige none too gently shoved her sister aside to make room for herself. With a grunt of surprise, Phoebe pushed herself up against the back cushions, and Paige snuggled up to her, basically forcing Phoebe to spoon her. Phoebe willingly draped an arm over Paige and closed her eyes again.  
"What a weekend," Paige sighed, closing her eyes as well.  
"You're not kidding," Phoebe yawned.  
"You okay?"  
"Yeah. Just really tired. You?"  
"I have to say, that was a new high on the weird chart."  
"What, meeting yourself?" Phoebe grinned, eyes still closed.  
"That was totally bizarre, Pheeble. She's me, but, she's not. In some ways, she's got her act together way better than I ever have. She's also way more screwed up than I am. If that's even possible."  
"Hey, at least your other self isn't a demon from Hell," Phoebe pointed out.  
"Guess I should be more grateful, huh?"  
"A case of the gratefuls never hurts."  
"Do you really think they'll move here?"  
"I doubt it," Phoebe decided, after thinking a moment. "Prue's right. It's just too much to ask. I only 'transplanted' because at the time, I had no other choice. But it's not fair to them to ask them to do the same. I think in the long run, they'll be happier where they are, and so will we."  
"Well, at least now you can see them whenever you want."  
"That will help a lot," Phoebe agreed. "But you and I, baby sister, have another family issue to attend to."  
"Like what?"  
"Getting some straight talk out of your dad."  
"Oh, God, Pheeble, _no,"_ Paige protested, sitting up. "Don't even. I just can't even deal with that right now."  
"Don't worry, Paige. I have a plan."  
"You do?" Paige asked hopefully.  
"I'm not trying to force a reunion. But your dad owes us all some answers, and I'm going to make sure we get them."  
"So, what are we going to do?"  
Phoebe grinned at her baby sister. "Get ready, sis. It's time for 'Operation: Parent Trap'."


End file.
